> The idea of whole departments in the US government being staffed with them is absurdist nonsense. Someone who works in astrophysics for a govt entity in the

> The idea of whole departments in the US government being staffed with them is absurdist nonsense. Someone who works in astrophysics for a govt entity in the US told me they have such massive budgets that it's not uncommon to throw some of it to some weird department just as a favor or to keep up the public's interest in "space stuff". Another person (working at ESA) confirmed it, they both rolled their eyes and claimed it was all BS. NOT saying this is definitive truth.